It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.
Electrical connectors for connecting one conductor to another are known. One such connector is described in the present applicant's earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 7,211,725. However, a problem with that connector is that there are some applications where it is difficult to insert the conductors into the patented connector, particularly when flexible cables are to be inserted to make the electrical connection. It can also be difficult to insert the cable in cramped situations or locations having access limited by configuration of the location, presence and/or orientation of other equipment and such like, or where the size of the cable is too small to afford sufficient pushing force into the connector.
Most commercially available electrical connectors are not suited to making electrical connections in moist or wet environments. In marine applications, in particular, direct contact of an electrical connection with, or even immersion in, water can occur, requiring the electrical conductors to be adequately insulated. Even if the electrical connection is kept away from direct contact with water, a hygroscopic plaque can build up on the surface, the plaque often being highly conductive due to its electrolyte content. It is therefore necessary to ensure electrical conductors are kept insulated electrically and separated physically from the environment whilst at the same time making a reliable electrical connection to an appliance or another conductor.
Although the connector of U.S. Pat. No. 7,211,725 provides a satisfactory solution to the problems associated with electrical connections in moist environments in many situations, it still suffers from the problem described above.
Another problem with the connector of U.S. Pat. No. 7,211,725 is that, because it is generally used to connect two wires together, it cannot be used to capture and incorporate an end of a wire into a type of plug that can then be plugged into a socket of an electrical appliance so as to make an electrical connection.